What is the problem with the 4WD on my Tundra?

Bought a 2004 Tundra DC SR-5 4x4 2 years ago. It now has 225k miles. The 4WD has always worked fine. I tried to engage 4Hi yesterday and all I got was the flashing green light. Tried to get 4Hi working numerous times yesterday and again this morning with no luck. Started suspecting the problem might be a bad A.D.D.
I was going to drive the truck on to ramps so I can get a closer look from underneath and for the heck of it I tried again and the 4Hi and 4Lo started working fine. I engaged and disengaged a good 10 times just to see if the problem came back but it didn't.
While I am glad the system seems like it's back to normal, I'm concerned that there is a problem. I haven't been using the 4WD much this year but I'd occasionally engage the system monthly for a minute or so.
I can't say I have a intermittent issue since this problem only occurred once. Even before the problem yesterday, I noticed whenever the 4WD system is engaged, it seems to bind if I turn the wheel to an extreme right or left.
Anyone have a similar experience? Thanks!

 

Maybe the actuator needs to be opened up and corrosion and crud cleaned out?

 

2nd.

 

Which actuator? The one by the front differential or transfer case or both? The front differential looks like a pain to access.

 

That happens in 4HI or 4LO? On loose road or paved, wet or dry?

But yeah, I also agree with those guys ^^

 

I was just entering a 4WD entrance to a beach area. I pressed the 4Hi while moving at 5mph and it never engaged. I back tracked in reverse, instead of trying to turn around in the narrow road I was on. I made my way to the paved roadway and tried many times to get 4WD to engage but no luck. Got home and tried again and this morning too. When I started the truck later on, all was working.

 

When i got my turdra the 4wd hadnt been operated in years. So i did the P,N,D,N,R… dance until i got it to work, then back and forth between 2 hi and 4 hi a dozen times or so. Then between 4hi and 4 lo a few times. Seems like it might have been stuck, but has worked fine since. Its still new to me, so i actuate it at least once a week.

 

Mainly the one on the xfer case.

 

That's normal. That's why the manual says not to operate in 4WD on a hard/dry surface.

 

Personally I suggest a wait and see attitude. Do your periodic testing weekly or monthly and be concerned if it continues to happen. How do things look under your truck, rusty, dirty or are things in semi normal condition for a 17 yr old veh. When was the last time you the fluids were changed ?

 

What @tvpierce said. Never run 4WD on hard surfaces unless wet. This is how you break shit.

Understand, very generically, when 4WD is engaged in any mode, all 4 wheels are locked spinning at the same RPM. When you turn left while rolling, your driver's tire (inside turn) naturally spins at a lower RPM than the passenger. If neither tire can slip because they're all going the same speed, what happens? BIND SKIP CHUNK.

The answer to this thread topic "What is the problem with the 4WD on my Tundra?" may possibly be "The driver"

(just ribbing you, you may already know this. but if not, please watch this video, and I'm not kidding it explains the issue stupidly well!)

 

Thirty years ago a coworker had a Tacoma (or whatever they were called then) that had never been in 4wd while he owned it. I don't remember the details, but something went wrong in the front end and he had it towed to the dealer. Dealer said the problem was because it had never been in 4wd. I suspect it had never had the fluids changed either. Since then I have always engaged the 4wd on all of mine once a month or so just to make sure everything is working as it should.

 

That's actually exactly what Toyota tells us directly in the Owner's Manual, which it seems most people don't bother to read. 4WD isn't there as a 'nice to have'. If you have it, you need to use it, even if it's just what I do during low off-road periods, engaging 4HI here or there while doing straight stretches of roadway for a couple of minutes.



Another tasty tidbit in case it helps.

 

I've read that. It just makes a better story to tell that the truck can actually get queered if you don't follow the manual.

 

So how do you do this. Hard to due once a month if you dont have a lot of rain or snow.

 

Ive got a series of hillcountry roads i run on shakedowns. The full trip to mountain home, and highway return leg is probably 250 miles. A hard 250 miles. I’d flush, then run a lap, repeat. On nice days during holidays. less folks on the backroads, and the ones still travelling will let you pass. A courtesy that seems lacking for the last 15 years.

there are at least 5 2-gallon fuel stops when i take the bike in anger.

 

Take it to your local baseball park and see how fast you can round the bases?

 

Weather conditions is not necessarily a factor. In simple terms you want to find a section of road that is less traveled. I go about 10 mph on 1/2 mile street I live on and go from 2wd to 4H as I scoot along back and forth. You’re simply actuating all the gears, switches and other mojo. For 4L, stop veh while in 4H, put in neutral, then 4L….do it a few times, good to go

 

My bad i thought he meant how to burn in trans fluid quicker.

 

Basically what Ron said ^^

I've got several stretches of straight road near me. Some are only for a mile or two. Others you can drive 10 miles easy, barely touching the wheel at all. Those are the places I'll toss it into 4HI at 60mph or less and cruise to lube it all up. Once you're in 4HI, you can exceed the max threshold to engage (I think engage will fails around 60mph, Owner's Manual will tell you). I prefer it's wet outside, but I'll do it when dry if the road is straight, and kick it back out of 4HI when a curve is coming up.